OTA notes: WR Cobb looks sharp

Green Bay -- The return of Donald Driver puts Randall Cobb's immediate future into focus. Sixteen years younger, Cobb was a training camp darling a year ago and is making some noise this year already. His value as a returner cannot be underestimated, but coach Mike McCarthy must strongly consider using Cobb more on offense in 2012.

He moves in and out of cuts fast, displays reliable hands and has breakaway speed after the catch. As a rookie, return duties and a general lack of experience limited Cobb's offensive snaps. Of the Packers' five wideouts, he saw the least action -- and it really wasn't close. Per Pro Football Focus, Greg Jennings (713 snaps), Jordy Nelson (699), James Jones (555) and Driver (563) all played much more than Cobb (309).

But now he has a full off-season. With more practice reps and more time with Aaron Rodgers, Cobb's role could change.

On Tuesday, he had several catches. Graham Harrell connected with Cobb on a 20-yard dart across the middle. AndRodgers drilled two passes to Cobb in fairly tight windows. Gaining a rapport with Rodgers is most important for Cobb. Remember, his first receiving touchdown ever came on a wrong route. He needs more time in the offense, more reps to do less thinking. Whenever Nelson was asked a year ago what keyed his breakout a year ago, he repeated that it was his chemistry with Rodgers. A trust developed. They didn't always need to communicate before the snap.

If Cobb is a quick learner, the Packers will need to find ways to use him more.

Here are some other nuggets from the three organized team activities open to the media:

--- Wait on Perry. Have been getting plenty of tweets and emails asking for what kind of progress first-round pick Nick Perry has made. Hold on, gang. His position -- more than any other -- can't be gauged when players are in shorts and helmets. Let's see what kind of leverage he can maintain on the edge and how quick his burst is while standing up when the pads come on. It is telling that Perry was plugged into the first-team defense from day one. Erik Walden's goal is to start, but Perry will have every opportunity to win the job. As he said himself, he's not a savior. But he is Green Bay's best bet at improving the pass rush.

--- So far, so good for Harrell. The No. 2 job is his if he seizes it. Graham Harrell hopes he came into Green Bay a new man. He took all the right steps back in Tyler, Texas, adding muscle and arm strength. At OTAs, the Packers saw encouraging signs. Harrell threw with more confidence vertically and looked more comfortable outside the pocket -- two important points of growth for the former "system" quarterback. Green Bay took a big risk here, only adding seventh-rounder B.J. Coleman when Matt Flynn left in free agency. They'll need to see Harrell produce in the preseason.

--- Safety watch continues. Charlie Peprah sat out of OTAs after having his knee scoped this off-season. The resident whipping boy for fans remains confident. But he'll be pushed by M.D. Jennings and, maybe, Jerron McMillian come August. Jennings wasn't perfect. On Tuesday, tight end D.J. Williams made a one-handed catch over him up the right sideline. But he has added weight and is a smart player. Green Bay needs safeties they can trust next season. There were too many post-play looks of confusion from defensive backs in 2011.

--- Pressure on Hawk. Chances are, you've read my colleague's story on inside linebacker A.J. Hawk (and the defense in general) back in January. The former fifth overall pick did not live up to the five-year, $33.75 million contract he signed a year ago. Far from it. Urgency is higher across the board on defense this off-season. There's more pressure on the assistant coaches to get the six draft picks up to speed and there's pressure on the veterans to rebound. With Brad Jones and Jamari Lattimore both moving inside -- where there's already D.J. Smith and Robert Francois -- Hawk cannot play as poorly as he did in 2011. Dom Capers has other options to turn to.

--- Rodgers' drive. In the Journal Sentinel's exclusive interview with Aaron Rodgers Tuesday, the league MVP discussed his competitive fire in more detail and his desire to win "Super Bowls." Most know the storyline already. The college snubs. That long wait on draft day. The summer of 2008. But competitiveness is a part of Rodgers beyond football. Probably the most interesting part of our interview came when I asked Rodgers if he was "obsessed with the game." He quickly jumped in, saying he's "obessively competitive." Not just with the game. There's a distinction.

In January, former teammates/friends shared stories of Rodgers getting worked up over a pick-up basketball game against 15- and 16-year olds at a military base and one beach volleyball game that nearly turned into a brawl. On Tuesday, Harrell laughed about Rodgers cheating in a recent whiffle ball game. Surely, friends, like Harrell, have been occasionally irritated over the years (for what it's worth, Harrell's team still won). But there is some real, day-to-day substance here that's driving the Packers.

While Rodgers said he was able to move on from that playoff loss once he left Green Bay, Harrell believes that playoff game is still "eating away" at him.

--- After finishing up OTA's this week, the Packers will be back for minicamp next week -- June 12-14. All practices are open to the media and one is open to the public. That practice is Tuesday the 12th at 10:45 a.m.

(Journal Sentinel photo by Mark Hoffman)

About Tyler Dunne

Tyler Dunne covers the Green Bay Packers. He has been on the beat since 2011, winning awards with the Pro Football Writers of America and Milwaukee Press Club.